Martin Turnbull

Book 2 and another very enjoyable read. I love these stories of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This book stars Nell(who works at a movie studio) trying to reach her boyfriend Luke who is off fighting in WWII. Top secret work so she doesn't know how to reach him with important news about an inheritance.

It's the story of Bogart and his meeting and falling in love with Betty (Lauren) Bacall.

We spend our time on the Hollywood sets with all the famous stars, directors, PR personal, anyone connected with the making of movies from this era. Hedda Hopper and the gossips. A story that you can get lost in with believable people that the author has dreamed up working side by side with the real stars of old Hollywood.

If you enjoy stories about the Golden Age of Hollywood I would recommend reading all of this authors works. Fun, really good story lines with people you come to know and love mixed in with real Hollywood stars.… (mais)

Turnbull delivers again! I've enjoyed his previous historical novels about old Hollywood. All the Gin Joints is set in Hollywood just before/during/just after filming of the movie Casablanca. Normally, my book interest is 1939 but I make exceptions for titles such as this that are only a couple of years "too new." The author effectively adds ficiticious persons and, sometimes, situations into historically accurate depictions. The action is realistic as are details such as slang terms and locations (many that are long gone). It's mostly G-rated fun but there are some references to R things but those are not overly descriptive.… (mais)

It's been a while since I've felt moved to write a review, so that should be some indication of how much I enjoyed reading this book.

I don't want to give spoilers. In fact, I read it without reading the full description here on GR - I only read a smaller one on Amazon - and I'm glad for it. Discovering the characters as they appeared, knowing nothing about them, added to the experience.

The Golden Age of Hollywood. Prohibition. The first talkies and the Great Depression. The time period, combined with the wonderful world-building made for a magical read. The story (or rather, three connected stories of the main characters) is written in an interesting style. Chapters are almost like vignettes that touch on the most important moments in the lives of the characters, with time passing between. It took a few chapters for me to get used to it, but once I did, I think it worked beautifully. There were no quick payoffs for these characters, and reaching their goals took time and persistence (and a few well-timed favors and convenient opportunities), and writing it this way allowed for that time to pass without the book being overly long.

There's only one "big" resolution here when the book ends. The three main characters are sort of perched on a rung on the way to their destiny, with more ahead of them. I'll be queuing up the next book in the series soon.… (mais)